Fun with Play-Doh

Dia Duit! (Hello!)

I needed a fun heading because most of today was just routine stuff and not all that exciting! To start the day I got to work with the junior and senior infants making letters and numbers out of play-doh! I forgot how much fun playing with play-doh really is! So whenever you can integrate fun and learning it is always a positive experience so that is what we did today! In the 1st/2nd/3rd classroom I taught a lesson based on the book, "The Angel Who Didn't Fit In". I think the lesson went really well and the kids enjoyed the book! It is a great story and has a great message!!

My supervisor from the COST program came for a visit today...it was informational and helped assure me that I am not alone through this process. We had a good meeting and I am pleased that after some discussion it was decided to modify my placement schedule a little bit to give me more time in a specific classroom than moving from class to class to class each day. I think this will help give me more experience in working with a class for the entire day, give me the opportunity to teach more lessons/units and develop more of a relationship with the students. I am excited for this change because now I think I will be teaching more and really be able to embrace this experience fully. I will miss the frequent change throughout the day to break up the day, but I think overall this will give me the experience that student teaching is meant for. So starting next week I will be in the 4th/5th/6th classroom for the next month or so and then will be moving to the 1st/2nd/3rd classroom for a month of so. I like how I will still be able to work with each grade giving me a range of experience but now it will be for a full block of time at once instead of for an hour each day. I know starting off with the higher grades will be a challenge for me but that is part of the excitement for me! So I can't wait to start planning lessons and incorporate all of this ideas that are floating around in my head!

Tonight has been a relaxing evening for me as I am really tired today. I am thankful for technology and how it still enables me to be in touch with home and still help a fabulous friend with their homework when need be! And we got to practice charades too! Fun times!! :-)

It may only be Tuesday but I am trying to determine what I want to do for the weekend! I, of course, want to get out and travel and see the sites but by the time the weekend gets here I am exhausted and just want to rest! Maybe I will make a point to sleep all day so I can stay up late and actually go listen to some music and experience some Irish craic!!

The great thing about living in a different culture/country is that you are always learning something new! So here are a few more word differences!
In Illinois I Would Say:                                       In Ireland I Say:
* students/children                                              * lads
* tired/exhausted                                                  * wrecked
* rent a car                                                                * hire a car


* Popular words to describe something are nice, lovely, and brilliant!!